Packing material



May 8, 1934. M. KOPPELMAN PACKING MATERIAL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 18, 1950 IZA avweuto'c May 8, 1934. M. KOPPELMAN 5 PACKING MATERIAL I Filed Feb. 18, 1950 2 SheetsSheet 2 aywe/ntoz Patented May 8, 1934 shipment, etc.

PATENT orries UNITED STATES meme MATERIAL Morris Koppelman, Brooklyn, N. 1 assignor to Holed-Tite Packing Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application February 18, 1930, Serial No. 429,279

' 2 Claims. (01. 154-55) A primary object, among others, of the present improvements is to provide a novel type of wrapping or packing material which may be used in place of the well known corrugated sheet without sacrificing any advantages thereofy'but, in fact, adding further utility and eificiency.

A further object is to provide a novel type of wrapping material which may be folded along ines substantially at right angles to each other, without rupturing or distorting the sheet texture.

Another object is to provide packing material which may not be injured, distorted or stretched under ordinary conditions of use, and'material which is inherently resilient and protective.

A still further object of the improvement is to provide material of the foregoing type which, in addition to the aforementioned characteristics, possesses the protective advantages of the common corrugated paper, but in contrast'thereto, is self-sustaining and therefore requires no binder or facing paper to maintain its position.

Due to the fact that sheets patterned after the present disclosure may be folded in a plurality of directions, it is obvious that they are adapted to uses to which corrugated paper will not lend itself. It is furthermore notable that the present improvements protect and cushion packed nier chandise generally and locally in a more efficient manner.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art uponv reference to the accompanying specification and drawings, in which the improvements have been illustrated in enlarged views for convenience in explanation and understanding.

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view of a sheet embodying one form of the present improvements;

Fig. 2 is a further enlarged section, taken on line'2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end. view of a cylindrical article wrapped with a sheet such as illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an end view of a rectangular article similarly wrapped. v

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view of a modified form;

Fig. 6 is a section taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a perspective of a further modified form; I

Fig. 8 is a perspective,.partly broken away, of a sheet folded in two directions.

-Although the packing material embodied herein may be manufactured in any desired manner,

it is preferably made in sheets, all parts of which are preferably formed integral therewith in one operation. It is therefore desirable that the sheets be formed by the pulp sucking or felting process wherein floating fibres are drawn against a screen member, so that the sheet is created complete in one operation. Accordingly, the foraminous die or mold is so shaped that the pulp deposited thereon will take the prescribed form of and contour of the sheet. In this manner, the

3 sheet and the parts thereof, are of relatively rigid material, which have a sufficient degree of elasticity to yield under pressure, but also to exert a counter pressure tending to return the sheet and parts thereof to their. original form. An inherent resilience and elasticity is thus present in the sheet and also in the individual formations thereof, providing a cushioning effect generallyas well as locally.

Referring to the drawings, the improvements as embodied and illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 comprise the sheet 10 of pulp material preferably formed in the aforementioned manner. While only a fragment of the sheet is illustrated, it is understood that the sheet in its entirety consists of cushioning or protecting means, and folding means. Accordingly the protuberances and the folding means comprise the sheet, all being created or preformed at the time of manufacture. In the present embodiment, the folding means 12, 12A are in'the nature of ribs or furrows traversing the sheet longitudinally and laterally from edge to edge. These ribs; or furrows are disposed in criss-cross or intersecting relation, thegroup of elements 12 being spaced in parallel relation, while the group of elements 12A are also spaced and parallel. Said groups are so disposed as to intersect each other at substantially right angles,

thereby defining lands therebetween which constitute cushion means.

Although these lands between furrows may of themselves. serve the intended purpose, they are preferably given a definite form. In the embodiment in Figs. 1 and 2 the lands are pyramidal or prism-like formations 11, substantially occupying the quadrilateral area defined by intersecting furrows 12, 12A. The base edges of the formations 11 originate at and merge with the furrows and from thence incline upwardly therefrom to thus seen that each protuberance 11 is flanked or bounded by a folding means.

While the members 11 are provided with ridges 11A which serve as sturdy contact areas for receiving shocks, it is evident that said members may have other polyhedral forms, for example, the sloping sides thereof may meet at a common point or apex, as illustrated in Fig. 7.

Upon reference to Figs. 5 and 6, the protuberances 21 are seen to be similar, in most respects, to members'll, except that the apexes or ridges of the members are crater-like, having a recess or depression 22.

In each of the foregoing embodiments, it is notable that protuberances 11 and 21 are in the nature of arches and possess the strength attending that shape. Accordingly pressure or shocks experienced by the protuberances is distributed and dissipated throughout the sloping walls in all directions thereby insuring against collapse of the members, Furthermore, these members are inherently resilient due to their texture and form, so that they may give under pressure, but will return to'original form upon release thereof.

This feature of local shock absorption is supplemented by the provision of the cups or recesses 22 in Figs. 5 and 6. These elements assist in preventing collapse of the members 21 and furthermore give a double arch effect to each individual member.

The sheet as a whole, likewise possesses characteristics of resiliency and rigidity, since the protuberances and folding means merge and therefore, together, provide double-arch effects longitudinally and laterally of the sheet. This double-arch configuration is to be found on either face of the sheet regardless of which face may be innermost in use. Accordingly a spring or buffer effect is present when the surfaces A are innermost and the shocks are received at surfaces B (see Fig. 2). A similar spring effect exists when the surfaces B are innermost and the surfaces A receive the shocks (see Fig. 4). In both conditions of use, it is seen that air pockets exist between the wrapping material and the wrapped article thereby enhancing the cushioning and protective effect.

The size and shape of the protuberances 11 and 21 may be varied as desired, it being obvious that ,they may be dome shaped or otherwise curved from fold line to fold line. Likewise the corrugations or furrows 12, 12A may take various forms so long as they are disposed in substantially straight and intersecting relation so as to provide substantially square or rectangular areas therebetween. A plurality of substantially straight bendable areas arranged in criss-cross relation is therefore preferable in practicing the improvements.

In Figs. 3 and 4, sheets embodying forms of the improvements are illustrated as wrapping material about a round and square article respectively. In whatever manner they may be used, it is a feature of importance that the sheets need not be faced or lined with any paper or light cardboard to insure preservation of their form and prevent stretching. In the absence of such facing material, the conventional corrugated paper can be stretched with the attendant distortion and destruction of the arches while in the present improvements such stretching of the sheet and destruction of the arches is prevented by the reinforcement resulting from the preformation of the parts as well as from the intersecting of the ribs or furrows 12, 12A, and for other reasons.

Being a matter of common knowledge, it may be stated here that the well known corrugated paper may be folded or rolled in only one direction without breaking or destroying the texture at the crease. A marked advantage of the present improvements therefore resides in its adaptability for rolling into bales about either of two axes. Upon reference to Fig. 8, the sheet 10 is illustrated with part broken away, a por tion thereof being folded along one axis, for example, along a fold line 12, and another portion being folded along another axis, for example, along a fold line 12A. Accordingly, as desired, the sheet may be folded longitudinally or laterally without destroying the texture thereof and without stretching or breaking the arched configuration. Although the sheet may have once been folded along certain lines 12 and 12A, such folding does not weaken or create creases in the sheet along such lines, so that it is unimpaired and may subsequently be folded along other lines.

In the modified form in Fig. '7, the intersecting corrugations or furrows are illustrated as shallow grooves. In this form, the sheet 30 is provided with criss-cross grooves or score lines 32 which are not as pronounced or as deep as the corresponding folding means in the modifications hereinbefore described. The shape and size of the cushion means 31 may also be varied as suggested with respect to other forms. This embodiment likewise possesses the same characteristics as to cushioning, protecting, folding, stretching, etc. The lines EE and FF indicate some of the axes of the sheet about which it may be folded. Attention is particularly directed to the fact that the sheet is bendable in two directions about each of these or any parallel axes thereof. For example, it may be folded up or down along line E-E or similarly along line- F-F. As aforementioned such folding may be accomplished without creating creases and without breakage or distortion of the arches. It will be understood that the fold lines 32 are preferably created simultaneously with the formation of the sheet, but may, if desired, be provided in the sheet after it has been formed.

With any of the illustrated or other embodiments of the improvements, the sheets may be used with either face innermost, and in particu lar uses where it is desired to have the raised formations innermost and at the'same time fold the sheet, the size and shape 'of the formations 11, 21 or 31 may be formed accordingly so that the rows thereof on -each side of the fold line willnot contact or interfere with such folding.

Various other modifications, within the scope of the present improvements, will be apparent to those skilled in the art and may be made without departing from the purview of the invention.

I claim: l. A cushioning sheet of pulp material provided with a multiplicity of molded hollow cushionlike protuberances, said protuberances being created asv an integral part of the sheet when it is created from the loose wet pulp fibres. which latter are caused to set in their natural and normal state in the protuberance walls and throughout the sheet, said protuberances serving to absorb like protuberances, said protuberances being cre-' shocks and to cushion packed articles, and hollow ribs formed between said protuberances.

2. A cushioning sheet of pulp material provided with a multiplicity'of molded hollow cushionated. as an integral part of the sheet when it is created from the loose wet pulp fibres which latter are caused to set in their natural and norprotuberances. t

, MORRIS KOPPELMAN. 

